Warehouse truck



Sept. 22, 1925. 1,554,903

E. W. BEATTY WAREHOUSE TRUCK Filed Jan. 25 1925 2 5 ,5 A?

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Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES EARL WILFORD BEATTY, OF FALLS CITY, NEBRASKA.

WAREHOUSE TRUCK.

Application filed January T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL nronn Bear- TY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Falls City, in the county of Richardson and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVarehouse Trucks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art-to which it appcrtains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in trucks such as those used in warehouses, for instance, to support barrels of oil or other liquid, at such a height that their contents may readily be drawn therefrom. The invention also relates to that class of truck which employs a barrel supporting base having substantially parallel runners whose lower edges curve upwardly at their front ends, the front ends of said base being provided with a lip plate to be inserted under a barrel or the like when the truck is tilted to an inclined position, so that by pulling rearwardly upon the barrel and tilting the truck downwardly, the former will be supported upon the latter. While trucks of this nature have heretofore been known, there has been a great tendency for the base to rock upon the curved ends of the runners, so that barrels and the like are often upset and their contents spilled, even if no injury is caused to the warehouse attendant or other person who may be in reach of the It is the primary object of my invention, therefore, to greatly improve upon trucks of the character to which I have referred by the provision of a unique leg arrangement and operating means therefor, which function to positively prevent tilting of the base upon the rounded ends of the runners, when a barrel or the like is supported thereon.

Another aim of the invention is to provide a truck of the class set forth which may be easily and inexpensive manufactured and marketed, yet one which will be highly efficient and in every way desirable.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a truck constructed in accordance with the invention,

8, 1925. Serial No. 1,283.

the legs being swung downwardly to operative position.

Figure 2'is a duplicate of Fig. 1 with the exception that it illustrates the legs swung upwardly to inoperative position.

Figure 3 is a side elevation with the legs in the position disclosed in Fig. 1

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view as indicated by line 4% of Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a. small side elevation illustrating the manner of loading a barrel or the like onto the truck.

In the drawings above briefly described, a carrying and supporting base B is shown, for a barrel, box or any other article. This base, in the construction disclosed, comprises two substantially parallel runners 2 which are connected at intervals by transverse bars 3, suitable braces 4 being provided wherever advisable. The upper sides of the bars 3 may well be slightly concave to prevent a barrel from rolling off of the base, and the foremost of these bars, disposed at the front extremity of the base B, is provided with a lip plate 5 which may be inserted under the edge of a barrel or other object when the truck is tilted as shown in Fig. 6. The lower edges of the runners 2 are curved upwardly as indicated at 6, at their front ends, thereby not only facilitating insertion of the plate 5 under the object to be loaded, but constituting varying fulcrums upon which the base and the load may be downwardly tilted, after the latter has been tilted rearwardly onto the base.

The rear ends of the runners 2 are preferably notched as indicated at 7 at their lower corners, and suitable rollers 8 are mounted in the notches, said rollers being preferably swiveled on vertical axes and so disposed that they will project slightly below the lower edges of the runners. These runners may also be provided near their curved front ends, with additional rollers 9 which come into play when moving the truck from one location to another, either before or after loading it;

Extending between the upper port-ions of the runners at the front ends of the latter, I have shown'a shaft or rod 10 upon which two legs 11 are pivotally mounted, said legs preferably having forked rear ends 12 connected by a transverse rod 13, rollers 13 being mounted on this red between the arms of the forks. Longitudinally disposed connectingrods 14: are pivoted at their front ends upon the rod 13 and at their rear ends, are connected with cranks 15 'on a transverse shaft 16 which extends between and passes rotatably through openings in the runners 2. One end of this shaft 16 is provided with an operating lever 17, so that the shaft may be turned to either swing the legs 11 to the lowered operative position shown in Fig. 3, or to the elevated inoperative position disclosed inFig. 4. Any suitable means, such as a shouldered plate 18 may be provided to hold the lever 17 against movement, when the legs 11 are downwardly projected for use. This plate 18 is preferably secured rigidly to one of the runners 2 and the lever 17 may be sprung into or out of engagement with its shoulder or shoulders, as will be readily understood.

The parts indicated at 19, are a pair of handles suitably secured to the rear ends of the runners 2, for use in manipulating the truck.

It will be seen from the foregoing that while a simple and inexpensive structure has been provided, it will be highly eflicient and desirable, particular attention being directed to the factthat when the legs 11 are lowered, the upper surface of the base B is disposed in a horizontal plane and any liability of said base rocking upon the curved ends 6 of its runners, is effectively overcome.

Excellent results may be obtained from the general construction shown and described, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous modifications may of course be made.

I claim:

1. An article carrying and supporting truck comprising an article supporting base having parallel runners whose lower edges curve upwardly at their forward ends, rear stationarily mounted rollers, additional stationary rollers near the forward ends of said runners, roller carrying legs pivotally mounted at the front end of the base and coacting with said rear stationary rollers when said legs are projected to an operative position, a rod connecting the free ends of said legs, a crank shaft extending between and rotativel mounted in said runners, operating ro s connected with said crank shaft and the connecting rod of said legs, and an operatin lever on one end of said crank shaft, w ereby the latter is rocked and said roller carrying legs projected and retracted to operative and inoperative positions. c y i 2. An article-carrying and supporting truck comprising an article-supporting base having substantially parallel runners whose lower edges curve upwardly at one end of said base, a lip plate carried by said end of the base, rear stationarily mounted rollers extending slightly below the rear ends of said runners, a rod extending between the upper portions of the runners at the front ends of the latter, roller-carrying legs pivotally mounted on said rod for movement toward and from operative position, said legs co-acting with said rollers in supporting the base when said legs are swung downwardly to operative position, a rod connecting the free ends of said legs, a pair of longitudinal connecting rods pivoted at one end to said second-named rod, a rock shaft extending between the rear portions of the runners and having cranks to which said connecting rods are pivoted, a hand lever on one end of said shaft for operating the latter to project or retract the legs, and means co-operative with said hand lever for holding the shaft against turning when the legs are projected.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixed my si ature.

E L WILFORD BEATTY. 

